


In This Together

by SonicCrazyGal



Series: ITT AU [1]
Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:42:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27453688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SonicCrazyGal/pseuds/SonicCrazyGal
Summary: Henry had been in the Ink Demon's Lair many times and it always ended the same way. But this time... this time things took a turn he wasn't expecting.(Crossposted of fanfiction.net)
Series: ITT AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2005843
Comments: 2
Kudos: 42





	1. In This Together

Henry sighed as he flipped the switch to enter the Ink Demon's lair for the several hundredth the time… or was it thousandth time now… Henry had given up counting how many times he had been through the loop long ago as it did little to help his now very fragile mental state.

He tuned out Joey's voice as he started the recording, knowing the entire thing by heart anyway. His eyes looked over the screens showing the cartoons he had helped create. Oh, how he wished he was back in that time. When things were simpler… before everything had been turned into this nightmare by Joey's madness.

Henry dully picked up the reel, it's words mocking him as it seemed his torture would never end. He remained impassive as the Ink Demon appeared behind the throne and went through his monstrous transformation. He had longed stopped flinching when the beast roared in his face. Instead, he just closed his eyes and braced for the hit that would send him crashing through the wall before their chase began once more.

But the hit never came…

Instead, Henry felt the weight of the beast's arms wrap around while it made a strange growling whine.

It took Henry a few moments to realize the beast was sobbing…

What the..? Henry's brain stalled and his body froze as he tried to process this strange and sudden turn of events. In all the time that Henry had gone through the loop, the Ink Demon had never strayed from its pattern. So why was it doing something like this?

Then it clicked.

A few dozen cycles ago, Henry had broken down in tears because he was just so tired of everything and the pointlessness of it all. He had sobbed until he had no more tears and those he had shed had dried. He had sat in the middle of the hallway, staring blankly until he could gather enough willpower to press on. For the Ink Demon to be reacting the same way… It could only mean…

"You're aware of the loop…" Henry whispered in shock. The Ink Demon's only response was to sob harder and tighten his embrace, though he was careful enough not to hurt Henry.

All this time, Henry had been convinced he was the only one aware of the loop. Not that he hadn't tried to tell others about the loop. He had brought it up several times with the more sentient ink creatures he'd come across, especially Allison and Tom. But whenever he mentioned the loop, all he ever got was blank stares of confusion. And whenever he insisted and tried to convince them that the loop was real, they just brushed him off as another crazy inhabitant of the studio, so he had given up.

But never in all these repeated tries had he even imagined that the Ink Demon… that Bendy of all creatures was aware of what was happening. It meant that Henry wasn't alone…

Coming to that realization, Henry's body finally began to unfreeze. He lifted his arms to return Bendy's embrace, patting him in a comforting manner. As Bendy was still in beast form, he ended up only patting Bendy's giant arm.

"It's alright, it's alright," Henry assured, slowly calming Bendy down. "We'll figure this out… We'll find a way to break the loop… We'll find a better ending…"

For the first time in a long time, those words didn't sound hallow to Henry. Even though he had no idea how to break the loop, he once again had hope that it could be done. He wasn't alone anymore, he had Bendy.

"You're not alone anymore…"

They were in this together.


	2. Hand in Hand

Henry didn't know how long it took (not that time really mattered to him anymore), but he was eventually able to get Bendy to stop sobbing and calm down enough that they could actually talk about what to do next. Henry's first instinct was to try and break the loop then and there, but then thoughts of all the other events that happened in the studio came to his mind, particularly of losing Boris over and over again…

"Bendy… buddy…" Henry began, a hesitant but excited grin spreading on his face. "I know we're both sick and tired of this loop, but we should start it one last time… so we can fix as much as we can…"

Beast Bendy hesitated, most likely reluctant to have to die again…

"Hey it's alright…" Henry assured, betting Bendy's large head. "Just this one last time… Then I promise we'll figure out how to get out of here… We're in this together after all…"

Beast Bendy gave a slow nod, a hopeful grin appearing. Henry returned the grin before they began the final chase once more, but there was no fear or anger this time around. As they went through the motions, their hope and excitement almost gave it a playful feeling…

"See you on the other side buddy," Henry said as he put in the last reel. Beast Bendy gave him a thumbs up before facing his demise. Henry had to work hard not to grin as Joey went through his little speech. He couldn't let the Joey know he had something up his sleeve yet after all…

Without hesitation, Henry reentered the studio and began eagerly gathering the objects he needed to restart the Ink Machine. His steps slowed as he went down the hall towards the now running Ink Machine, doubts working their way into his mind. What if restarting the loop turned Bendy back into the monster Joey portrayed him as? What if instead of working together, Henry was forced to have to go through the studio again alone? Forced to repeat everything forever? He didn't think he could handle that…

NO! Henry thought firmly, viciously pushing those doubts away. He made Bendy a promise that they would figure this out and intended to keep it. With confidence, Henry strode forward to the boarded room. Bendy popped up like expected, reaching out towards Henry.

"Hey buddy," Henry grinned, taking Bendy's hand. "Ready to rewrite this story?"

Henry couldn't help but feel relief as Bendy nodded before phasing through the wood blocking him, his hand still gripping Henry's. Together they made their way back to the front door. The floor still rumbled and ink still came pouring down, but Henry and Bendy didn't so much as flinch. When they came to the place where Henry would fall, Bendy picked Henry up and leaped over it. Henry tried to open the door but it didn't budge an inch, it's sunny glow taunting him as he pulled with all his strength. Even Bendy couldn't get the door to move, letting out a distressed whine when he failed.

"It's fine Bendy," Henry comforted the Ink Demon. "I knew deep down that we wouldn't be getting out this easily. Besides, we still have to help the others first, so let's head down."

Bendy perked up after that and they stepped onto the weak planks, falling down into the ink below. Henry couldn't help but laugh as Bendy flailed in the ink, trying to get himself up. Still chuckling, Henry helped the skinny demon rise to his feet. Before beginning the process of draining the ink. Together they went further down into the studio, Bendy hissing at the message "The Creator Lied To Us" while Henry retrieved the ax. But the moment they entered the pentagram room, Bendy seemed to freak out. He got into a defensive stance and growled openly at it.

"It's alright… it's alright…" Henry immediately comforted, trying to get Bendy to focus on him instead. Henry never really thought about the role the pentagram played in what happened, more concerned with getting out. But with Bendy reacting this way, Henry couldn't help but wonder what it meant to him. "You don't have to go anywhere near it. I just need to step onto it. It'll make me black out for a while, but I promise I'll be alright. Just wait patiently and we'll keep going together."

Bendy whined and nuzzled Henry in worry, but reluctantly stepped back. Bendy went over to a far corner and curled up, trying to make himself smaller. Henry's heart hurt at sight, but he did his best to give Bendy a comforting smile before stepping onto the circle. The visions assaulted him and Henry beginning to black, his last sight Bendy reaching out to him in worry.

***

Henry groaned as he came to… only to be startled by hearing a concerned whine. It took Henry to remember that Bendy had joined him on his journey through the studio, working together to get out it. Opening his eyes. Henry could see Bendy hovering around the edge of the room, wanting to help Henry but unwilling to come closer to the circle.

"I'm alright buddy," Henry assured as he got up and picked up his ax. Bendy pulled Henry close as soon as Henry walked over. "I'm fine like I said I'd be. Let's keep going alright?"

Bendy gave Henry a nuzzle before letting him go, taking Henry's hand in his. Together they continued forward, passing Sammy's offering table and recording before wadding through the inky hallway. The moment Sammy began walking across the doorway in front of them, Bendy tensed and looked ready to lunge.

"Wait!" Henry immediately commanded, stepping in front of Bendy and keeping him in place as Sammy finished going by. Bendy was practically frozen in his attack stance, looking between Henry and Sammy. But the moment Sammy disappeared, Bendy got out of his attack pose and hunched in on himself. If Henry had described Bendy's stance, he'd say he looked sheepish and a little guilty.

"Did… did you want to attack Sammy, because that's what you're supposed to do?" Henry said slowly, trying to figure out Bendy's rapidly changing moods. Bendy seemed to flinch at Henry's words before giving a small nod. "Do you feel the same way when you look at me?"

Bendy frantically shook his head at first before pausing and giving him another nod.

"It's alright Bendy," Henry replied, taking a hold of Bendy's hand without hesitation. "Considering how long Joey's been forcing you to be the villain in this place, it has to be hard for you to go against that role. But I trust you Bendy and I know you can resist those urges."

Bendy brightened at Henry's words though he still seemed a bit nervous. They continued on, flipping the switches to open the door and going to turn on the lights. Bendy made quick and easy work of the searchers, just briefly letting his inky shadows spread out and disintegrate them as soon as they appeared. From there it was very easy to get into Sammy's sanctuary to turn the first valve.

"Sammy's going to appear on the balcony," Henry informed his companion as they headed back towards the music room. "Do you think you'll be okay? I want to try and get him out of here too if we are able."

Bendy gave one firm nod, though his grip on Henry's hand tightened. They went through the entrance looked up at Sammy immediately, who stumbled back in surprise at seeing Bendy.

"M-my L-lord…" Sammy stuttered, trying to compose himself. "W-what a s-surprise… I m-mean honor! T-to have you grace me with your glorious inky presence."

Henry sighed as Sammy continued to ramble before turning to Bendy. "Do you think you can bring him down here?"

Bendy gave him a stiff nod, opening a portal nearby and appearing on the balcony beside Sammy.

"No! My Lord! Stay back!" Sammy said in a panic as he backed away from Bendy. "I am your prophet! I am your - AAAHHH!"

For one heart-stopping moment, Henry feared that Sammy's lines had triggered Bendy to attack as was scripted. But then Bendy came out of his portal beside Henry, dragging Sammy behind him. Bendy immediately let go of the ink man and returned to Henry's side. Henry could tell that Bendy was really struggling not to fulfill his role in killing Sammy from his stiff and tenses posture and the way his hand was shaking in Henry's. Henry gave him a comforting squeeze, before turning to Sammy, who was now kneeling before Bendy and giving his gratitude at being shown mercy.

"That's enough Sammy…" Henry began, but he was ignored as Sammy remained only focused on Bendy. Bendy eventually gave a quick growl, making Sammy finally quiet down. "Thank you, Bendy. Sammy, we're working to get out of here and stop Joey. Do you want to come with us?"

Sammy didn't say anything, looking from Henry to Bendy in obvious confusion. Bendy gave a nod to Henry, showing his approval of his words.

"If my Lord wishes it…" Sammy said slowly, rising to his feet. "Then I shall accompany you…"

"Good, let's press on…" Henry concluded, leading them to the infirmary for the next valve. Though Sammy was obviously doubtful about what they were doing, he was able to get the valve from Jack without having to kill him. They flipped the pump switch, but when they opened the exit door on the bottom of the stairs, they were only greeted by a stone wall. Henry sighed, expecting nothing different.

"Let's keep going deeper then," Henry said, Bendy at his side and Sammy following along. They went past Sammy's sacrificial room, glimpsed the Ink Machine going down and started wading through the inky hallway. The door at the end didn't open, but Henry could hear Joey whistling on the other side.

"I'm going to get out of here Joey!" Henry shouted, pounding on the door. "You may think you have control here, but I will change the ending of this story! I've already started and you can't stop me!"

He didn't get a reply, but the whistling did pause for a moment. Grinning, Henry turned back to his inky companions.

"Come on, let's got meet up with Boris."


	3. Together We Rise Above Our Failings

Henry lead Bendy and Sammy through the door at the end of the twisted hallways. He couldn't help but smile as the bacon soup can thunked and rolled out from around the corner.

"Hello? Someone there?" Henry called, taking a step forward. "I know you're in here. Come out and show yourself."

Boris came walking around the corner only do a double-take at seeing Bendy looming behind Henry. He hunched down, covering his eyes and shaking in fear.

"It's alright Boris," Henry assured, going over to the toon wolf with Bendy staying by his side. "I know it's not what you're used to, but I promise not going to hurt you. He's helping me get us out of here. You don't have to be afraid of him."

"You should always fear and respect our Lord!" Sammy spoke up. Bendy turned and growled at him, making Sammy shut up. Boris flinched at hearing Bendy growl, but Henry's constant comforting words eventually coaxed the wolf to straighten up. He still seemed very nervous around Bendy, but he eventually leads them back to his safe house.

They stayed for several days in Boris's safe house. Not that Henry needed to recover or anything like the times before, in fact, he felt energized and ready to go on. But he thought it was best that his growing group get used to each other, especially before they faced what was left of Susie.

Sammy at first spent most of his time sitting near Bendy, eagerly trying to please his "Lord". But eventually, he calmed down and interacted more with Henry and Boris. He and Boris really hit it off when Boris brought out his Banjo. Sammy began teaching Boris more songs and helped him improve his playing. This also had the added benefit of grounding Sammy more, giving him moments where he was more lucid and more like his old self. These moments were few and far between, but they were there. He still had a long road to recovery, but Henry was happy to see any progress at all.

Bendy had found an out of the way corner and had just sat down, refusing to get up no matter how much Henry tried to coax him to join the rest of the group. Henry couldn't figure it out at first until he noticed that Bendy was watching how Boris still flinched whenever the Ink Demon moved and stayed as far away as possible from him. Henry realized that Bendy was doing his best to be unthreatening for Boris's comfort. It saddened Henry that Bendy felt he needed to act that way, but he understood it. So instead he did his best to included Bendy when he could and to spend time with him.

As time went on though, Boris became less scared of Bendy and eventually went up to the Ink Demon, He held out his deck of cards, silently asking if he wanted to play. Bendy gave a hesitant nod and Boris sat down across from him. As they played, they began to really relax and become comfortable in each other's presence. As he watched them, Henry briefly wondered how long it had been since Bendy had been able to do anything just for fun…

After their game, Bendy and Boris were practically inseparable. Though neither of them could speak, at least not in a way Henry could understand, they seemed to have many lengthy conversations via hand gestures, whistles, and various other noises. Henry couldn't help but smile in pride as Boris played the newest song he learned to Bendy while Sammy nodded along in approval. It was so surreal to Henry that after all the horror and heartbreak he had suffered going through this cursed place that this peaceful scene could exist. It made everything worth it…

But their work was not done and the time came for them to leave the safe house. He made bacon soup for Boris, getting the door handle in return. Their group left the safe house and began walking through the hallways. As they passed through the darkened hallway, Henry paused when he realized that he didn't hear the loud thumping noise that he used to.

"That was you making that noise wasn't it," Henry said, glancing up at Bendy. Bendy up briefly before looking back at Henry and giving him a nod. Henry chuckled and moved on, coming to the locked door.

"You mind opening the way for us?" Henry asked Boris, handing him the flashlight. "And can you go with him, Sammy?"

Boris nodded as he took the flashlight. Sammy grumbled a bit about how Henry didn't have the right to give him orders but still followed behind the wolf into the vent. While Henry knew that Boris should be fine on his own like he always was, Henry preferred that no one was left to themselves. And as he and Bendy had already been making changes, there could end up being something unexpected.

A few moments later the door opened, letting Bendy and Henry enter the Heavenly Toys area. Henry instructed Bendy on how to get the toy machine working again, Bendy's tall form making it easy for him to get the toys out of the jammed gears, clearing the path for them. They entered Alice's stage area, the lights turning off and the tv screens coming to life. Bendy immediately went up to the closest one, watching it with interest. Even before Henry realized that Bendy was innocent in this nightmare, he had always found it adorable that the supposed deadly monster loved watching cartoons. It always gave Henry the feeling that Bendy was as bad as he was made out to be and know he knew why. Alice's song played on, the spotlight turning on behind the glass.

"I'm Alice Angel!" Alice shouted, though her usual scream of anger turned into one of terror at seeing the Ink Demon just on the other side. The glass shattered and the lights went out, leaving Bendy and Henry in the dark.

"I-I see you t-there," Alice began her little speech, though Henry could hear her voice tremor with fear. Henry could feel Bendy shift slightly beside him, tacking Alice easily in the dark. "A new fly in my endless web. Come along now. Let's see if you're worthy to walk with angels."

The lights came back on and they continued on as if nothing had happened. They went down the Demon path (obviously) and met up with Boris and Sammy, Henry taking the pipe to defend himself. Bendy easily killed Piper when he popped out of the poster and Henry flipped the switch to open the door, letting the group get to the elevator.

"You're so interesting… so different." Alice began as soon as the elevator doors closed behind them and the elevator began to descend. "I have to say… I'm an instant fan… though I don't care for the company you keep… Still, looks like you've got a date with an angel! Come to me now. Level Nine. Just follow the screams. Come on, step out of your cage… There's a whole twisted world out here."

The group made their way into Alice's sanctuary. Boris, of course, froze as soon as he saw the dead body of his clone and Henry told Sammy to stay with them. Henry and Bendy pressed on over the flooded room, ignoring Alice's rambling. Soon Henry and Bendy were within Alice's inner sanctuary.

"How dare you bring that abomination here!" Alice screamed as soon as she caught sight of them, pointing accusingly at Bendy. "I should kill you for that! Tear you apart to my heart's delight! But that monster will no doubt end up doing it for me. That thing drags you into the puddles. Do you know what it's like living in the dark puddles?"

Henry tuned Alice out as he checked on Bendy. He was worried that Alice's words would make him angry. Though Bendy was tense and his hands were shaking, Henry could tell it wasn't from anger. Instead, it seemed like he was on the verge of tears if he was capable of crying that is. Henry then recalled one of Joey's tape in offices below, where he had called Bendy an abomination before ordering him to be chained up. Alice's words must have been reminding Bendy of all the rejection and suffering he had gone through, even before Joey forced him to be a villain.

"Look, Alice, we're trying to get us all out of here…" Henry interrupted Alice's speech, taking Bendy's hand and giving him a comforting pat. "You're welcome to come with us…"

"I won't let that demon touch me again!" Alice snarled, before calming herself. "But I do desire to leave this rotting pit. If you do a few eensey weensey little favors for me first, I'll let you all ascend and leave this place. Return to the lift, my little errand boy. We have work to do!"

Bendy and Henry left Alice and made their way back to the elevator. They had just exited the large metal doors of Alice's sanctuary, which then closed behind them at the same time a gate lowered across the bridge, blocking their path.

"My machines are hungry." Alice's voice came over the speakers. "Gather me some spare parts. You'll find the gears I need on level K and here's a little something to help you."

A panel flipped around near them, revealing a wrench which Henry took. The panel flipped back around and the gate in front of the bridge rose, allowing them to leave. The three quickly went across the bridge and joined up with the others in front of the elevator.

"There are so few rules to our rules now," Alice spoke to the group as they entered the elevator. "So little truths. But there is one rule we all know and respect down here. Beware the Ink Demon. You may think he's your friend now, but he will turn on you. When he does, well, I enjoyed our date. Now let us begin our work…"

Henry gave Bendy an encouraging smile, letting the demon know that he didn't believe Alice's words. Bendy, who had been slouched since the encounter with Alice, perked up a bit.

"Do you know what you're getting into by being with the Ink Demon? They say he hears everything." Alice once more spoke as Henry and Bendy stepped out of the elevator. "Every creak of the floor. Every rustle of paper. I would suggest running now if I were you, but that might just encourage him to attack."

"Can you really hear everything?" Henry asked, giving Bendy a curious glance. Bendy made a "Kind of" gesture with his hand. He then pointed at a nearby cutout of his, specifically the eyes of the cutout, and then also gestured to the ink.

"You can see and hear…. Through the cutouts and ink?" Henry guessed after a minute, receiving a confirming nod from Bendy. "That…. Actually makes a lot of sense…. Not that it really matters right now. Let's get these tasks over with."

They breezed through the first few tasks with ease, Bendy taking care of any enemies that popped up while He Ray gathered the materials. They mostly ignored Alice's commentary, though Henry did chuckle when she called Sammy handsome. He sputtered in shock and embarrassment and, if it had been possible for the Ink man, Henry was sure he would have blushed. But when it came time to destroy the cutouts, Henry couldn't help but feel concerned.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" Henry asked as the elevator reached level K. "You can stay in the elevator if you want. I've been able to survive on my own, one floor will be easy."

Bendy seemed indecisive for a minute before boldly stepping off the elevator, making it clear he intended to stay by Henry's side. Henry couldn't help but smile. He enjoyed having the Ink Demon accompanying him. But as Henry set out destroying the cutouts, he couldn't help but notice how Bendy flinched each time he cut one down. At first, Henry assumed Bendy's reaction was because of how awkward and uncomfortable it must be to see Henry destroy his image. But as Bendy continued to do it, Henry began to suspect something more was going on.

"Does it… hurt you when I destroy the cutouts?" Henry asked as he and Bendy entered the Heavenly Toys room. Bendy gave a small nod, looking away in embarrassment. "Then I'll try and finish this up as quickly as possible. It's just a few more…"

Bendy didn't respond, so Henry just hurried forward, finishing off the last few cutouts.

"Ah, I knew that would make him show his true colors," Alice said with glee. "He really does hate it when I do that. You should run…"

Henry was wondering what Alice was talking about when he saw that the room was filled with inky shadows. Looking over at Bendy, Henry saw that he was hunched over and was visibly shaking. His arms were crossed over his chest like he was holding himself together… no… like he was holding himself back…

"Bendy?" Henry said in concern, taking a step toward him. Bendy's head snapped up, unseen eyes locking onto Henry and his grin seeming far more predatory than it had in a long time. Henry only had a moment to process this before Bendy lunged.


	4. We May Fall But We Help Each Other

Pure reflex born out of fighting for his life hundreds of times in this cursed studio allowed Henry to twist away from Bendy's strike in time, leaving the Ink Demon to crash into the couch that had been behind Henry. Henry's heart raced and his grip on his ax tightened. He prepared to swing but stopped himself. He couldn't hurt Bendy… not now… not after knowing he really is the sweet toon he created forced to be a monster by Joey's madness…

Unfortunately, the Ink Demon showed no such restraint. Taking advantage of Henry's hesitation, the Ink Demon grabbed onto Henry and slammed him into the ground, his hand closing around Henry's throat.

"Bendy… Stop! Please…" Henry wheezed, forcing the words past Bendy's tightening grip. "This isn't you… Don't let Joey control you… We're in this together…"

While Henry spoke, he raised one and cupped Bendy's face, strocking his thumb gently over the ink. Whether it was Henry's words or his gentle touch, Henry wasn't sure, but he could see Bendy snap out of his villainous role. Bendy's grin lost its predatory edge and he immediately let go of Henry, stumbling away from the man with a distressed whine. Henry immediately started coughing and gasping as his body tried to get back the oxygen he had been deprived of. Bendy backed up into the wall, gripping his head as his instincts and thoughts battled against each other.

"B-Bendy…" Henry coughed, reaching towards the struggling Demon as he got to his feet. "It's alright… I know you can fight this…"

Bendy whined again and shook his head, an ink portal opening up next to him.

"No Bendy!" Henry pleaded, hurrying to the fleeing Demon. "Don't run from me… It's alright!"

Henry managed to grab onto Bendy's wrist before he disappeared completely into the ink portal, causing the Ink Demon to freeze.

"You don't have to run off because you slipped up this time," Henry assured, hoping to get through to Bendy. "Come on, let's talk this out… we won't solve any problems if you leave…"

Bendy still seemed hesitant, but he slowly stepped back out of the portal, letting it close behind him. Bendy pulled his hand free but didn't try and flee anymore. Henry tried to give him a comforting pat, but Bendy flinched away before Henry could touch him.

"Hey, it's alright buddy… I'm not going to hurt you…" Henry tried to say but paused when Bendy shook his head and gripped his arms close to his chest. "Bendy… you're not going to hurt me either…"

Bendy whined again and Henry swore Bendy gave him a disbelieving glare.

"Just because you hurt me just now, doesn't mean you will again," Henry replied quickly. "We're trying to break a loop that we've been trapped in for hundreds of cycles. We knew it wouldn't be easy and that we'd have obstacles to overcome. I know you've been fighting the instincts Joey has forced upon you this whole time and it's amazing that you haven't slipped up at all until now. The only thing we can do is press on… so let's get going, Bendy…"

Henry held out his hand to the Ink Demon, giving him an assuring smile. Bendy began reaching for Henry's hand, but then pulled back.

"Bendy… I don't blame you for attacking me…" Henry sighed. "Do you blame me for all the times I've killed you at the end of this loop?"

Bendy immediately shook his head.

"Then you shouldn't blame yourself for all the times you've killed me. You managed to snap out of it this time and I know that if you end up slipping again you'll come out of it again. I meant what I said. I trust you, Bendy… you just need to trust yourself…"

Bendy still seemed nervous and skeptical, but eventually, put his hand in Henry's. Henry gave Bendy a large smile before, leading him back to the elevator. Bendy hesitated before stepping on and he shied away from the others. Henry just gave his hand a comforting squeeze but didn't force him to the others. Bendy would approach the others when he was ready. Henry went up to Alice's door alone, dropping off the ax. When the Butcher gang barged in, Bendy killed them as they passed by the elevator, leaving only a few searchers for Henry to take care of.

"You can stay here Bendy," Henry assured as the elevator went down to Level 14. " I can sneak past the Projectionist on my own. I'll be back before you know it."

Bendy seemed like he wanted to protest at first, but as soon as he heard the Projectionist was on this floor, he nodded in agreement with Henry. With the close call he just had with Henry in the Heavenly Toys area, Bendy doubted he would be able to resist killing the Projectionist as soon as he saw him. Henry gave Bendy a gentle smile and a reassuring pat on the shoulder before heading off.

As Henry began wading through the ink, he couldn't help but wonder what he was going to do about the Projectionist. He wanted to save the Projectionist, of course, knowing that he had been Norman, but he wasn't sure if he could. The Projectionist had always seemed more on the feral side of Ink Creatures, like the searchers and Butcher gang clones, so Henry wasn't sure if he was sentient enough to be saved.

Still… he had to know for sure before he could back a decision. His mind made up, Henry snuck around until he was near a little miracle station and could see the Projectionist ahead.

"Norman!" Henry shouted, immediately getting the Projectionist's attention. "We're trying to break out of here and to bring as many people as we can with us! If you can understand me at all… Please give me a sign!"

The Projectionist turned around and gave one jerky nod before screeching and charging at Henry. Henry quickly ducked into the miracle station and watched as the Projectionist slinked off. That was enough for Henry to have hope that Norman could be saved as well, though it would probably be best to wait until they were in the storage area before breaking him out of the cycle. They still had to deal with Alice first after all…

Satisfied with what he learned, Henry finished gathering the hearts he needed and heading back to the elevator, completely ignoring Alice's commentary.

"It seems we've reached the end of my to-do list, my little errand boy," Alice said after Henry dropped off the hearts. "I hope you and those little tag-alongs enjoyed our time together. I'll always treasure it. Return to the lift. It's time to go home."

"But don't you come with us?" Henry half-heartedly suggested, knowing that Alice still had her own agenda. "We're all getting out of here after all."

"I refuse to be anywhere near that Demon!" Alice said in anger, before taking on a sweeter tone. "Besides, I have a few things I need to do first. Once I'm done, I'll make my own way out."

Henry just rolled his eyes and headed back onto the elevator.

"So she going to drop the elevator with us in it," Henry informed the others as the elevator rose and Alice began rambling. Sammy and Boris seemed shocked and confused by Henry's statement, but Bendy just nodded, understanding the Henry knew from experience. "Bendy, I want you to make sure that she doesn't get her hands on Boris. Don't kill her if you can help it, but she absolutely must not get to him. I might blackout, but I'll be fine. Boris is your main priority."

Bendy nodded in determination, but he stuck by Henry's side as Alice began to laugh maniacally. Bendy curled around Henry as the elevator began to drop while Sammy huddled next to Boris. Henry hoped everything would turn out alright as the elevator crashed.

Henry awoke to the familiar sight of Boris shacking him. Sammy was hovering nearby, but Henry couldn't see Bendy from his position. Alice hummed as she approached from a nearby corridor, only to be tackled by Bendy before she could get close to Boris.

"Let me go you disgusting monster!" Alice screeched as she clawed at Bendy, though they had no effect on the powerful Ink Demon. "How dare something as tainted as you touch an angel like me! Take your filthy hands off! I command that you release me!"

Bendy paid no mind to Alice, focused more on keeping a grip on her, and holding her off the ground. Henry let out a small chuckle at the sight that turned into a cough. Though Bendy had defiantly kept Henry safe from the worst injuries, he was still a little banged up. Boris rubbed Henry's back until the coughing subsided then helped him to his feet.

"This is your last chance, Alice," Henry said as looked at the captive Angel. "Either join us and work to get out of this place, or you can be left here to rot. And if you even think about coming after Boris again, well Bendy would just have to take care of you…"

This was a bluff of course, as he wouldn't want to force Bendy into killing anyone if it could be helped, that's what Joey was doing after all, but he needed to get his point across to Alice. Luckily Bendy caught on to his line of thinking and gave Alice a menacing growl. Alice's already pale skin turned white as she froze in Bendy's grip.

"F-fine…" Alice eventually said, failing to sound calm and collected. "I'll join you on your pointless goal. Just keep this beast away from me!"

"Bendy…" Henry replied and Bendy immediately dropped Alice, letting her fall in an undignified heap. Alice rose to her feet and tried to seem unaffected as she brushed herself off while Bendy went to Henry's side.

"You are living a fantasy story if you think you can escape," Alice scoffed once she composed herself. "But I'll play along… for now…"

"It may be a story, but we're rewriting the ending," Henry replied with a knowing grin, getting a hissing laugh from Bendy. Henry couldn't help but feel proud as he lead his growing group forward, even as Alice continued to complain and started an argument with Sammy. He and Bendy were changing things ad soon they'd be able to save everyone. Just a little longer and then they'd all be free…


	5. The Wonder of our Friendship

Henry's growing group had an interesting dynamic as they began their journey away from the remains of the elevator. Alice refused to be close to Bendy and Boris, of course, shied away from Alice. Bendy, of course, wanted to stick to Henry's side, so Henry and Bendy lead the group while Boris tagged along right behind them. Alice followed further back with Sammy by her side. Sammy expressed that he did desire to be closer to Bendy, but he did not trust Alice at all and was determined to keep an eye on her.

"You should be honored that our Lord has granted you mercy and allowed you to walk in his presence!"

"Please… your "Lord" is nothing but a vicious beast! If it wasn't for Henry keeping him on a leash, he'd be tearing us all to shreds!"

"Silence you unworthy hag! The Ink Demon is far more powerful than you and you should not scoff at the compassion he has shown!"

"How dare you call me that! I am an angel! I should cut out your heart for that, but I don't want any of your foul ink anywhere near me!"

Unfortunately, Sammy's and Alice's clashing personalities lead them to constant arguments. Henry should have been annoyed by it, but all he could feel was gladness. They were alive and here with him, working to escape the studio. As long as that fact remained, nothing else they did could bother him. The same couldn't be said for Bendy though. Henry could tell the Ink Demon was trying to ignore Alice and Sammy, but there were things the two were saying that was clearly bothered him. Boris noticed Bendy's attitude and would often distract the demon by talking to him in whistles or gesturing to the scenery around them.

"I can't believe I ever thought you were handsome!"

"And I can't believe that I ever said you had talent!"

Henry did his best to stifle a chuckle as he moved the books into place. While he doubted that either of them realized it, it seemed Sammy and Alice's arguing was doing them both some good. They seemed to be unconsciously recalling times from the studio (before everything went nuts) to hurl insults at each other. Yes, their little group was an odd bunch but what they represented was something truly spectacular.

As the group crossed the cavern and entered the long hallway, Henry was surprised to realize that he was no longer having those strange visions. He wasn't exactly sure why they would have stopped, but Henry decided to take it as another sign that things were changing. But as they went up the spiraling stairs, a problem occurred to Henry. The Lost Ones in the room ahead, while normally passive when it had just been him, might have more extreme reactions to the other members of his group, Bendy and Alice in particular.

Alice would most likely be attacked on sight, considering the large "No Angels" message written on the wall. As for Bendy… well… he wouldn't be attacked, but Henry really didn't want to see what happened when he brought the subject of the Lost One's worship into their midst. The bottom line was, he had to find some other way for them to continue forward.

"Bendy… "Henry began, getting the Ink Demon's attention. "Would you be willing to take Alice with you and go ahead into Storage 9?"

Bendy gave a slight growl at the mention of Alice but gave a nod.

"I am not letting that thing take me anywhere!" Alice immediately screeched in protest. "He's probably just dragging me off to kill me! I knew I shouldn't have come along! I-"

"Bendy is not going to kill you!" Henry interrupted in exasperation. "But if you keep coming this way, then the Lost One's definitely will. Would you much rather risk them tearing you apart than just traveling a short way with Bendy?"

Alice's angry frown faltered at Henry's statement. She was very aware of the reputation she had among the other ink creatures within the studio. Mostly, it had just annoyed her as it made capturing new creatures to harvest harder, but she also knew that it made it very dangerous to leave her sanctuary. In the face of certain death… maybe the supposedly tamed Ink Demon didn't seem so bad…

"Fine…" Alice grumbled, glaring at the Ink Demon. "As long as you're sure your pet monster is under control."

"Bendy is not a pet or a monster," Henry sighed. "He's a victim like everyone else in this place, but he's working to help everyone escape and he's not going to hurt you."

Alice just huffed in disbelief, but still hesitantly approached the Ink Demon. Bendy ignored her and opened up an ink portal, stepping through and eventually followed by Alice. Henry satisfied that those two were safe now, lead Boris and Sammy onward.

"He's going to find me…" the Lost One said it moved to the center of the balcony above them only to pause when he spotted the group. "The Prophet… the Prophet has returned!"

The Lost One hurried off to the side, no doubt to tell the others. Henry pushed onward and entered the room with the crowd of Lost Ones, who immediately began to whisper to each other at seeing Sammy.

"Peace my sheep," Sammy said, stepping forward with his hands raised and immediately getting their attention. "I come bearing joyous news. Our prayers have been answered! The time promised is at hand! Our Lord Bendy is working to free us all, along with his servant…"

Sammy gestured to Henry, making all the Lost One's glance at him before returning their attention to Sammy.

"Just remain patient for a little longer," Sammy finished up. "And soon we'll all be pulled from our inky prisons."

Hopeful whispers broke out as soon as Sammy concluded. Some of the Lost One's began to cry in joy and a few even shouted in joy. All of them expressed they thanks as Henry and the others moved through them, some even reaching out to touch them as if to assure themselves that they were real. Henry grabbed the flashlight and lead the way through the vents, Boris and Sammy following behind.

"Hey Bendy," Henry greeted as the Ink Demon popped up in front of the vent. "Alice didn't give you too much trouble did she?"

Bendy gave a shake of his head, before standing up.

"See you soon!" Henry called as Bendy left and his group crawled further through the vents. They eventually came out in Bertrum's office where Bendy was waiting for them. Alice was waiting there as well, though she was staying far away from Bendy. Opening up Storage 9 and heading into the Bendy Land warehouse, Henry began the process of powering up the haunted house. Boris had fun doing the ball toss while Bendy punched the strong man sensor, ringing the bell and destroying the game. Henry himself did the shooting gallery, opening the first door.

Bendy easily took care of the Butcher Gang behind the next door, letting Henry get to the switch with no problems. When it came to Bertrum, Henry had considered whether or not he could be saved but ended up dismissing that idea. Henry knew very well from previous times through the loop that Bertrum couldn't be reasoned with. The machine didn't even seem to be truly alive, just programmed to scare and kill Joey. So Henry and Bendy worked together to destroy the machine. It was interesting watching Bendy cling onto one of the swing arms, crawling along to rip out the joint blots with his bare hands.

But then came time to face the Projectionist. It was obvious by his tense posture that Bendy was aware of what was coming up and very nervous about the coming confrontation.

"It'll be alright," Henry assured, giving Bendy's hand a comforting squeeze. "I know you'll be able to resist the urge to kill him."

Bendy just gave a shaky nod before heading in with Henry. The others stayed behind (though none of them wanted to be stuck together), just to make it easier to avoid the Projectionist. After sneaking around to get the switch, Henry headed to the stairs to trigger the Projectionists' return. As soon as the Projectionist appeared with a screech, Bendy whirled around and lunged at the Projectionist. They exchanged blows like before, but when Bendy lifted the Projectionist into the air, he made no move to rip his head off.

"See, I knew you could do it, Bendy," Henry praised before turning his attention to the struggling Projectionist. "Come on Norman… I know you're in there somewhere… The role Joey made for you is over now, so fight it!"

The Projectionist screeched again, but slowly his struggles came to an end. He was hanging limply in Bendy's hands while his light focused on Henry.

"Is that you Norman?" Henry asked hopefully, getting a hesitant nod from the Projectionist. "Let him go, Bendy, he's on our side now…"

Bendy complied, carefully returning the Projectionist to his feet. The Projectionist looked between Bendy and Henry before looking at Henry and a curious whine came out of his speaker in his chest.

"It's a long story," Henry replied with a smile. "But the short version is Bendy and I are working to free everyone from the studio. Are you ready to come with us?"

The Projectionist gave another nod and Henry lead them out to the others. They were pretty unnerved to see the second biggest threat in the studio joining their ranks, but since Henry had already proved that the Ink Demon could be changed, they soon accepted that the Projectionist was now a part of their group.

They then headed into the now powered up haunted house, though they ignored the cart as it was impossible for them all to fit in it. As they entered the ballroom area, Henry couldn't wonder what was going to happen next as Boris was still with him as well as Alice. As the next doors opened, instead of Boris coming out, it was the other Alice, or Allison as Henry always called her in his head. Allison immediately began chasing after Alice, brandishing her sword and obviously going for the kill. Alice began running around the room in fear, trying to avoid her counterpart. Bendy then took off after Allison. He may not like Alice, but Henry was trying to save everyone so Bendy would protect her. Tom, who had come in soon after Allison, immediately went after Bendy to protect Allison. Sammy then chased after Tom to protect his "Lord" with Boris following behind. Why Boris had joined the chase, Henry wasn't sure, but as he and the Projectionist watched the ridiculous chase, he couldn't help but burst out laughing. If it wasn't for the twisted way everyone looked, it seemed like something straight out of one of Bendy's episodes.

"Alright, that's enough!" Henry finally shouted once he got ahold of his amusement. "Allison! Tom! We're trying to get out of this Studio! Do you want to come with us?"


	6. At Last We Break Free

Allison and Tom came to a stop, looking at Henry in confusion and suspicion. Bendy nearly ran into Allison in surprise at her sudden stop but managed to avoid her before coming to a stop himself. Sammy was not nearly as lucky and ran headlong into Tom. Tom staggered under the impact but managed to stay upright and shoved Sammy off him. The ink man was knocked to the ground and Boris, who had managed to stop in time, helped him back to his feet.

"How do you know Tom's name?" Allison asked, holding her sword at the ready. But as she was surrounded, she didn't risk attacking yet. "And why did you call me Allison?"

"It's a long story…" Henry said with a tired smile. "One that we'll have plenty of time to get into later… But the bottom line is that all of us are working to get out of here, so please come with us."

Allison looked unsure, but Tom immediately shook his head no and went to Allison's side. He gestured that they should leave, sending a glare at Henry and Bendy.

"Please Allison, " Henry pleaded before Allison could make up her mind whether to leave or not. "I know you've been waiting for a hope that things will change… just look around you! You are surrounded by what used to be the studio's biggest threats and yet we aren't trying to tear each other apart. Even the Ink Demon, who is supposedly the evilest monster in this place is on our side. He's been helping this whole time to set everyone free. Things are changing and I want you guys to be a part of it."

Tom remained unconvinced, but Allison seemed to light up under Henry's words. A cautious but hopeful smile appeared on her face. Tom seemed to realize that Allison was being swayed and shook his head no at her.

"Tom… this is our best chance to get out of here.." Allison said, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We've been trying to find a way out for so long… we can't let this opportunity pass… Please, Tom…"

Tom still seemed skeptical and suspicious, but he couldn't refuse Allison's plea. He sighed and gave her a jerky nod, but kept a firm grip on his ax. Allison smiled at Tom before turning back to Henry, sheathing her sword.

"We'll come with you," Allison declared.

"Great…" Henry smiled. Looking over his large group, Henry thought about how they were going to proceed. There was no way they were all going to fit on the barges that Allison and Tom had built, but he refused to leave anyone behind.

"Bendy, I want you to take Alice and Norman ahead to the film vault," Henry said, coming up with a plan. "And before you say anything, Alice, the path ahead leads to the home of the Lost Ones. I think it's better if we do our best to appear as nonthreatening as possible."

Alice closed her mouth at Henry's explanation and gave a reluctant nod. Going into the den of the Lost Ones would basically be a death sentence and after she had safely traveled with the Ink Demon before, she was more willing to go with him again.

"Sammy, I want you to come with me," Henry told the ink man. "You can tell the Lost Ones what we're doing."

"I've always served to spread the message of my Lord," Sammy agreed. "And it is my duty and pleasure to give them the glorious news that Bendy shall, at last, be setting us free."

Henry just nodded with Sammy's statement, doing his best not to roll his eyes.

"Boris…" Henry began turning to the cartoon wolf. "You can either go with Bendy or come with us. Either way is fine so you can decide."

Boris tapped his chin in thought, looking between Bendy and Henry. After a few minutes, Boris walked over to stand by Bendy.

"Alright, you'll go with Bendy," Henry concluded, nodding in agreement. Henry was actually glad about this choice. Bendy obviously had very strained relationships with both Alice and Norman and, while Henry knew that Bendy wouldn't harm them, it wouldn't be easy for him to be alone with the two of them. Having Boris there would help keep Bendy calm while he waited for Henry and the others to come. Before they left, however, Henry had Bendy give some ink in order to create pipes for him and Sammy.

Bendy, after giving Henry a goodbye hug and nuzzle, opened an ink portal nearby. Boris walked through first, trusting Bendy and Henry completely. Norman hesitated for a moment before following after the cartoon wolf. Alice was still reluctant but eventually went through. Bendy gave Henry one last glance before walking through himself and letting the portal close behind them. Now that they were no longer outnumbered, Alice and Tom relaxed significantly, though Tom still eyed Sammy and Henry warily.

"Allison, I know you have a couple of barges that'll help us get across the ink rivers below," Henry continued, doing his best to remain calm despite his growing excitement. "Can you lead us to it?"

"How did you..? Whatever…" Allison shook her head in confusion, deciding Henry's strange behavior and knowledge didn't matter. Plenty of strange things happened in the studio and right now, Allison didn't want to waste her chance get out. "Yes, we could take you to us. Stay close…"

Allison began leading the way down deeper, Henry and Sammy following close behind with Tom keeping watch from the rear. While Henry probably could have used a rest in Allison's and Tom's safehouse, especially since he was still sore from the elevator drop and fight with Bertrum, but he much rather just press on. They were so close to saving everyone now… Besides, he didn't want to be locked up by Allison and Tom again.

Allison soon leads him to the docks where the barges were waiting.

"We won't all fit into one…" Allison informed as she released the barges into the water. "Tom and I will lead the way in the first one. You two can follow behind in the second one."

Henry only nodded as he helped Sammy onto their barge. For as much as he had been able to change, so much of the script remained relatively unchanged. But the changes that he had made, the people he had managed to spare, those far outweighed having to do the same repetitive tasks. Even as the barge he was on stalled as ink clogged the paddle wheel on schedule, Henry wasn't worried. So what if Joey still had control over the small details and general direction of their journey, he and Bendy were rewriting the fates of everyone they interacted with. He was so close now…

Henry and Sammy maneuvered the barge through the tunnels, working together to clear ink and easily stay out of reach of the giant hand. They finally came into the makeshift village of the Lost Ones and pulled up to the dock. Even as they got out, Henry could see Lost Ones coming out of their shelters to stare at them, whispering to each other. They went quiet as soon as Henry and Sammy approached.

"I bring glorious news my flock," Sammy once more proclaimed to the Lost Ones. "I am on a mission for our Lord, along with his servant Henry, to at last free us all! The faith you've had will, at last, be rewarded. I've already seen him grant mercy and help tame many of those that would cause us harm. The time promised is upon us, just be patient my sheep."

"Of course my Prophet!"

"Praise Lord Bendy!"

"I'm so happy…"

"It's almost over… It's finally almost over…"

"Soon we'll be free!"

The Lost Ones continued to whisper to each other in response to the news, a hopeful and happy vibe filling the air. They didn't even care when Allison and Tom arrived and made room for the group as they made their way through.

"I've never seen the Lost Ones so hopeful," Allison commented with a small smile as she cut away the chain to the gate. "Maybe… whatever your planning will actually work… Can you lead the way, Henry…"

"Sure Allison," Henry replied, expecting that. He stepped forward and fell through as the board broke beneath him on cue. Some things never change Henry thought to himself as he got out of the ink he fell in, smiling as he saw Bendy waiting for him. But the things that have been changed are enough for me…

"Hey buddy," Henry greeted as Bendy pulled him into a hug. "I'm glad to see you too. Are the others waiting for us in the film vault?"

Bendy gave Henry a nod as he finally released him.

"Then we shouldn't keep them waiting too long," Henry concluded, heading into the office area. With Bendy there with him, Henry didn't have to bother sneaking past the Burcher Gang to get the ink he needed. Instead Bendy made the globs of ink for Henry to turn into pipes. It was a lot faster and soon they were entering the film vault. The others were waiting there and they were very relieved to see Henry, even Alice though she did her best not to show it. Henry was the one that kept their group together and stable after all and he was the one that gave them hope.

"What now?" Allison asked Henry as she and Tom entered the vault. "Because it looks that anything you might need in here was taken long ago."

"Now Bendy and I will head to his lair," Henry explained, Bendy's grin widening as he took Henry's hand. "Then we'll finally be able to put an end to this nightmare."

"You want to go to his lair?" Allison said skeptically, eyeing the Ink Demon. Though Bendy was not acting as he had used to, Allison had a hard time believing that he wasn't going to turn on them, especially after all the fear and death he had caused. Still… if anyone could go into the Demon's lair and survive, it'd be Henry. "Well, it shouldn't be far then. Probably right through that door in fact. It won't be easy to open. I'll need three gears, a crowbar, and some kind of counterbalance…"

While Allison was talking, Tom went over to the door and smashed it open.

"Huh…" Allison said, blinking as she took in this turn of events. "Well, that works too… I guess."

Henry just chuckled slightly before leading the group through the hallway and to the giant ink machine.

"Wow! I've never seen this before, " Allison said in awe as they looked I don't see any way around… nothing to build a raft with."

"I knew it!" Alice screeched in fear, backing away from the giant ink machine and lake of ink. "You're just here to kill us all and drag us back into the ink! Well, I won't allow it!"

"Quiet you slug! Don't you realize that we are seeing the home of our Lord? You should feel honored!"

"As if I'd feel anything but disgust for that monster!"

"I should throw into the ink myself for that insult!"

"I'd like to see try!"

"Tom! Wait! I'm sure Henry can explain his idea…"

"Everyone just calm down!" Henry tried to get everyone's attention, but his voice was lost in the shouting. Tensions were running high and everyone was getting into aggressive stances, except for Boris who was huddling at Henry's side. This was bad… if Henry couldn't get control soon, someone might get hurt…

Suddenly the Projectionist let out a deafening screech, immediately making everyone jump and cover their ears. After a few seconds, the Projectionist stopped and gave Henry a nod.

"Thank you Norman," Henry said as the ringing in his ears died down. "No one is being forced back into the ink! I already said that it's just Bendy and I heading into his lair. If you can just not kill each other for a few minutes, Bendy and I will be able to finish this! So just stay calm… please…"

The others still looked tense but nodded in agreement. Knowing that was going to be the best he was going to get, Henry just headed towards the ink machine with Bendy. They soon arrived back in the throne room and Henry grabbed the reel. He had tried destroying it before… many times in fact. But no matter how many times he had thrown it against the wall or tried to smash it under his foot, he had never even let so much as made a scratch. And now that he knew that Bendy had been aware the whole time, he wouldn't be surprised if Bendy had tried to destroy it as well. Obviously, neither had succeeded, but that was when they had both been on their own…

"Ready to end this for real?" Henry said, holding out one side of the reel to Bendy. Bendy nodded and grabbed onto it. Together… they snapped the reel in half and the world went white…

Henry blinked his eyes opened, finding himself once again in Joey's house. But he immediately smiled as he realized that he wasn't alone… everyone he had convinced to join him was there, slowly getting up from where they were on the floor and looking around in amazement. There even the members of the Butcher gang there. Bendy let out a happy purr as he pulled Henry into a hug.

"We didn't Buddy…" Henry sighed in relief, holding back tears of joy. "Now how about we go have a little chat with Joey…"


	7. A New Beginning

Henry signaled everyone to be quiet as they rose to their feet and whispered for them to remain in the room for the moment. While he knew they all wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible, Henry could not resist wanting to shock Joey with what he had accomplished. Henry entered the kitchen with Bendy following silently behind him. Joey was there as expected, his back to them as he finished the dishes.

"You're even early than I was expecting…" Joey commented, though he still didn't turn around yet. "Are you going out of your way to try and impress me now with a new shortcut or just sprinting through everything?"

"Well I managed to convince Allison and Tom to skip locking me in their safe house," Henry commented with a growing grin. "And of course Bendy's Lair took no time at all."

Joey stiffened after hearing Henry. Now… Henry had talked to him times before, he had questioned Joey, raged at him, begged to be free, but for the longest time, he was just silent. But what really worried Joey was Henry had said about skipping portions of Joey's script. It shouldn't be possible and Henry could just be bluffing, but Henry sounded way too confident for it to be a bluff.

"Now what do you mean by that Henry?" Joey began, trying to keep his cool as he turned around. Joey let our and alarmed gasp and stumbled back, bracing himself against the counter behind him. Standing behind Henry was the abomination he so despised. The failure that doomed his studio and destroyed his hard work and dreams.

"H-how..?" Joey stuttered, hovering between fear and rage. How is that monster here? He made sure that none of those piles of ink could ever escape! He orchestrated it for that mockery of what should have been his greatest creation was to be destroyed over and over. How could it be here?!

"Bendy is no longer under your control," Henry replied smugly, enjoying Joey's shocked face. "He is no longer the villain you forced him to be. Instead, we worked together to break the loop you trapped us in and we're not the only ones to get out…"

Henry waved to the others and they all came in, crowding around Henry as they glared at Joey. Joey paled at seeing the large group before him. His hard work… his failures… his success… his dreams and ambitions were all laid out in the creatures before him… And Henry had the gall to bring them all here! Henry was supposed to be fixing those mistakes and imperfections… removing them and paving the way for a new and better world… especially since he was getting so close to perfecting the process…

"I don't know what you expect to accomplish by bringing… them… here," Joey sneered, he was going to using far more unflattering names, but he was wary enough of those monsters not to say anything with them so close. "I'm the Creator! I control the Ink Machine! This little show of force means nothing!"

"You have never been a creator!" Henry growled, Bendy, growling as well to emphasize Henry's. "You've only manipulated and use others to further your own goals. Well, you won't be able to manipulate us anymore. And as for the Ink Machine… Bendy?"

Bendy's grin widened and gained a predatory edge. Joey began to tremble slightly in fear, but the Ink Demon turned away from him and went to the other room where the Ink Machine was visible. Bendy lifted up his hand and clawed the machine, ripping it apart.

"Wait! No! Stop!" Joey said, anger flaring as he stumbled forward. He was so close to creating the perfect world! One that he had complete control over! He couldn't let that abomination ruin it! He didn't get very far when Allison stepped forward.

"Don't even think about it!" She warned, holding her sword out threateningly. Joey had no choice but to watch as the Ink Demon reduced the machine to scrap metal, the sputtering ink being absorbed into the demon's form. Once Bendy was satisfied with his work, he returned to Henry's side.

"We're leaving now Joey," Henry said coldly, glaring at the man he can't believe he ever considered a friend. "Don't you ever even think about contacting me ever again. I'm not someone you can call on to clean up your messes, and they are no longer your concern."

"You're going to regret this Henry!" Joey glared, though he made no attempt to stop them from heading towards the door.

"The only regret I have was that I couldn't have freed everyone sooner," Henry replied, not even giving Joey a glance. The group left Joey's house, pausing to just enjoy the sight of the blue sky and feeling the sun on their faces.

"Come on," Henry said, finally herding the others away. "We should get out of here."

It took a little time, but they eventually found Henry's van hidden in the back. It took a little work, but they got it started and they all crowded in. It was a very tight squeeze, but no one complained, not even Alice. They were just so relieved to be out of the studio that they didn't care. It took several hours to get to Henry's home, arriving a while after the sun had set. Henry smiled in relief as he walked up to his door. He has no idea how long it's been since he's been home and he couldn't wait to see Linda… He unlocked the door and headed inside, leaving it open for all his companions to come through.

"Who's there!" Henry heard his wife shout from the kitchen. She came out, holding her double-sided rolling pin at the ready but stopped when she spotted Henry.

"H-henry..?" Linda said in shock, her hand falling limp and letting the rolling pin drop to the floor. Henry wasted no time in stepping up to her and pulling her into a hug.

"It's me, Linda," Henry said, assuring both himself and her as tears flowed freely. "I'm finally home…"

"I knew you weren't dead! I knew it!" Linda cried in joy, holding onto Henry tightly. "Oh, darling… I'm so glad you're finally home… I've missed you so…"

"I missed you too…" Henry breathed, enjoying her warmth. It was at this point that Bendy apparently decided he wanted to share the happiness and joined in the hug. Linda stiffened slightly and pulled back enough to finally notice everyone else that now occupied her home.

"Henry..?" Linda asked in shock, unsure what to make of the strange group.

"It's a long story…" Henry smiled tiredly. "On that should wait to morning…"

"Alright…" Linda replied slowly. She wanted to hear everything, but she could see that Henry was exhausted so she could wait for her questions to be answered. Henry was home and that was enough for her.

There were a lot of people to find sleeping places for and some defiantly felt uncomfortable about sharing rooms. Allison and Tom ended up sharing one of the guest rooms while Sammy and Norman got another. Alice was lucky enough to get a room by herself. The Butcher gang piled up on the couch while Bendy curled up on Henry's large armchair. Boris seemed happy enough with the floor, though he did accept a pillow and blanket. Once everyone was settled, Henry went to bed, holding his wife close to remind himself that she was real…

The next morning was surprisingly peaceful as Henry and Linda made breakfast for everyone, or at least those that could eat right now. Henry explained everything that happened, holding nothing back from Linda. She listened with patience and sympathy, though he did have to convince her not to go knock Joey around when he was done. She expressed her sympathy for all the former captive creatures and was determined to help them get better.

Then came the long task of Henry doing his best to help fix the twisted forms of those he had freed with the help of Bendy's ink. There was very little he could do for Norman, but between him and Tom, Henry was able to get Norman's speaker working so that he could talk. Henry was able to help Sammy look more like a human cartoon character, though he did still have dark splotches on his skin. He was able to help Tom look more human though, he still had several wolfish features.

The Butcher gang wasn't too hard to help fix up, but it took a while because they had so many wounds. He was happy that he was able to restore their bodies, though scars did remain. Now Henry offered to help Alice become more human-like she used to be, but she refused. She insisted that she wanted to be more Alice like so Henry eventually gave in and made her more toon like. Bendy was eventually able to gain a smaller toon form as well, though he could not stay on model for long. Instead, he ended up with a form that was a mix of his ink demon form and his cartoon counterpart and he seemed happy with it.

Henry came down the stairs a few days after he finished the several weeks spent fixing everyone up, at least on the surface. Henry knew it would be a long time before everyone's mental and emotional scars would heal as well. Henry found Bendy watching the sunset out the window as seemed to have become a habit for the little ink demon.

"Enjoying yourself their buddy?" Henry said as he joined Bendy at the window, rubbing between the toon's horns. Bendy nodded and let out a small purr. Henry chuckled and looked out the window as well. It was beautiful as the sun painted the sky in many bright colors. It still filled Henry with wonder to see how colorful the world was again and he knew Bendy felt the same. Every day was a new beginning filled with its own challenges and adventures and Henry wouldn't have it any other way. Bendy's hand soon found Henry's and Henry gave it a light squeeze. No matter what came at them now, they were in this together…


End file.
